Wenham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Wenham family

The surname Wenham was first found in Suffolk at Great Wenham (Wenham-Combustor) or Little Wenham, villages and parishes that date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where they were collectively listed as Wenham. 1 The place name possibly means "homestead or enclosure with pastureland" from the Old English "wynn" + "ham." 2 Little Wenham is home to Wenham Castle, a castellated manor house, one of the oldest houses in England built by John de Villabus in the 13th century. One of the first records of the surname was found in Surrey in the year 1194 when William and Hawise Wenham held estates in that county. 3

Early History of the Wenham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wenham research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1455, 1487, 1525, 1712 and 1730 are included under the topic Early Wenham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wenham Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wenham, Wenam, Wennam, Wennum, Wenum and others.

Early Notables of the Wenham family

Distinguished members of the family include

Jane Wenham (died 1730), generally regarded as one of the last witches in England...

Wenham migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wenham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Wenham, who landed in Virginia in 1665 4

Wenham migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Wenham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Joseph Wenham, English convict from Kent, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Richard Wenham, English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Miss Ann Wenham, (b. 1800), aged 36, English servant who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, 1 child on board with her 7
Mr. Wenham, (b. 1833), aged 3, English settler traveling with convict mother Miss Ann Wenham, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. Henry Wenham, (b. 1803), aged 35, English farm labourer from Benenden, Kent, England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Maitland" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 6th November 1838 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wenham migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Wenham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Wenham, aged 32, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred" in 1864 9
John Wenham, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Wenham (post 1700) +

John William Wenham (1913-1996), English-born, American Anglican Bible scholar
Jane Wenham (b. 1927), English actress who from 1957 to 1961 was married to the actor Albert Finney
Kelly Wenham (b. 1983), English actress, best known for her starring role in the 2013 film Dracula: The Dark Prince
Stuart Wenham (1957-2017), Australian director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics at the University of New South Wales
Francis Herbert Wenham (1824-1908), British marine engineer
Brian Wenham, British Controller of BBC Two (1978-1982)
Zoë Wenham (b. 1994), British auto racing driver
Revd Dr David Wenham (b. 1945), British theologian and author, son of John Wenham
Gordon Wenham (b. 1943), British Old Testament scholar and writer, son of John Wenham
David Wenham (b. 1965), Australian actor, best known for his role as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Ship Voyages to New South Wales (Retrieved 11th July 2021). Retrieved from https://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5313/4_4780/Maitland_5 Nov 1838/4_478000079.jpg&No=286
Archives New Zealand Micro 5019. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Alfred. Retrieved from http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ourstuff/Alfred1864.htm